Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complex but popular poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in popularity so quickly.
Omaha Hi-Lo starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues in which players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. One more sequence of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. an additional round of betting happens at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers will need to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some entrants can get confused. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same concept in just about all poker games.
A lower hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem complex at the start, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the fundamental nuances of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 offers an amazing collection of wagering options and seeing that you have many players shooting for the high, along with many shooting for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha High-Low.
